Incense match

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6613289
  • Patent Number
    6,613,289
  • Date Filed
    Monday, April 24, 2000
    24 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, September 2, 2003
    20 years ago
Abstract
An incense device is provided and comprises an elongated extruded incense sleeve having a central axial opening formed in the incense sleeve. A wooden match having a stem portion and a head is associated with the incense sleeve. Particularly, the stem portion of the match is inserted into the opening formed within the incense sleeve so as to leave the match head spaced from one end portion of the sleeve.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates to an incense match and, more particularly, to a method of making such an incense match.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




Incense has been popular in Asian cultures for many centuries, and has been present in the United States for a long time as well. While the 1960s saw the use of incense skyrocket by counter-culture elements, incense has now moved into the mainstream. Incense provides not only a pleasant aroma in which to function, but also may serve as an insecticide or insect repellant. The particular combination of elements within the fumigant allows different aromas and/or different properties to be incorporated into different incense. Additionally, incense coupled with acupuncture is believed, by many, to promote healing. Additionally, a whole new field of holistic medicine, entitled Aroma Therapy, has also come to relatively recent attention by the efforts of its practitioners. Thus, it is easily seen that incense has a myriad of uses, both from a pleasure standpoint and, potentially, from a medicinal standpoint.




With the numerous uses of incense available, numerous efforts to arrive at a convenient technique for dispensing or burning incense have arisen. Incense may come in pellets, tabs, or stick form, such as a joss stick. Additionally, numerous incense-burning apparati have, likewise, been developed and patented. These apparati have given rise to specially-formed incense products which work essentially only with the particular incense-burning product. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,916 to Gardner et al. shows a particular incense-supporting apparatus with a vertical rod with a cylindrical incense fitted thereover. The incense must burn of its own accord. While the various and sundry products and incense forms do function well, there remains a need for a more universal incense-delivery technique. One such universal incense-delivery technique was suggested by U.S. Pat. No. 3,754,861 to Sadahiro, which showed a fumigant forming a body and one end of the fumigant covered by a match head. However, the '861 patent relies on the fumigant to be self-burning. While many fumigants are, in fact, self-burning, greater variety in the aroma provided by the incense is possible if the incense is not required to be self-burning. That is, more flame resistant aroma particles may be inserted into the fumigant if there is no requirement that they burn.




In short, there remains a need for a universal incense distribution product that has properties which do not require the fumigant to sustain a self-burning activity.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The shortcomings of the prior art are addressed by a hollow cylindrical incense product which is especially manufactured to fit over the shaft of a match. In particular, a conventional wooden match is preferred. Thus, the wood of the match provides the energy to char the incense as the wood combusts. This frees the incense for more aromatic elements and diminishes the need for the fumigant itself to be self-burning.




In particular, in one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an incense device that comprises an elongated extruded incense sleeve having a central opening formed within the sleeve. A wood match having a stem portion and a head is inserted into the incense sleeve. More particularly, the stem portion is inserted into the central opening of the incense sleeve such that the head of the match remains exposed and spaced from one end of the incense sleeve.




Further, the present invention entails a method of manufacturing or forming an incense device. This entails mixing an incense composition and extruding the composition to form an elongated incense product having a central opening extending axially through the incense product. Thereafter the incense product is cut into selected lengths and then subjected to a finishing operation. Next, individual ignition devices, in one embodiment in the form of a match, are inserted into the central opening. In the case of a match, the match stem is inserted a selected distance into the central opening such that the match head that forms a part of the ignition device remains exposed and spaced from one end portion of the incense sleeve.











Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and obvious from a study of the following description and the accompanying drawings which are merely illustrative of such invention.




BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of the incense device of the present invention.





FIG. 2

is a longitudinal sectional view of the incense device of the present invention.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION




With further reference to the drawings, the incense device of the present invention is shown therein and indicated generally by the numeral


10


.




Viewing the incense device


10


in more detail, it is seen that the same includes an incense sleeve indicated generally by the numeral


12


. As will be appreciated from subsequent portions of this disclosure, the incense sleeve


12


is formed or manufactured through an extrusion process. More particularly, basic compositional components of the incense sleeve are mixed together and then extruded to form the incense sleeve. As indicated in

FIG. 2

, the incense sleeve


12


in the embodiment illustrated herein is generally cylindrical in shape and includes a central opening or a central bore that extends axially from one end to the other end of the incense sleeve.




After the incense sleeve


12


is manufactured, a match, indicated generally by the numeral


14


, is inserted into the incense sleeve. The match


14


includes a stem portion


16


and a head or ignition portion


18


. Note in the drawings where the stem portion


16


is inserted downwardly through the central opening of the incense sleeve


12


such that the head


18


of the match


14


is spaced outwardly from one end portion of the incense sleeve


12


. Thus, it is appreciated that a portion of the stem


16


actually extends exposed between one end of the incense sleeve


12


and the head


18


.




In the embodiment illustrated herein, the stem portion


16


of the match is wood. Therefore, by striking the match and igniting the match head


18


, results in the stem portion burning. As the stem portion burns down toward the incense sleeve


12


, it is appreciated that the burning of the match stem


16


will result in the incense sleeve being burned, or at least substantially heated, such that the incense sleeve begins to emit an aroma.




The basic components for the incense sleeve are incense powder, sawdust and incense resin. These materials in conventional fashion will be mixed in a tank with water. Thereafter, the mixed material will be directed into an extruder that will produce the incense sleeve


12


.




The fragrance utilized will generally be made of an oil base. Many different aromas can be selected, including fruit and floral fragrances. For example, fragrances of apple, vanilla, cherry, bayberry, strawberry, jasmine and lavender are appropriate for incorporation into the incense stick.




Basically, the incense composition referred to above is mixed, and the mixed product is extruded into an elongated incense product. This product is cut into selected lengths. After that, the individual incense sticks, or sleeves, are subject to heat for purposes of drying. Thereafter, the top and bottom of the cut sleeves are subjected to a brushing machine so as to form smooth opposed ends about the incense sleeves.




Once a fragrance has been selected, the fragrance is typically a 100%, by weight, based oil fragrance and to that there is added alcohol and a fixative. In one particular embodiment of the present invention, the oil-based fragrance is diluted by adding the fixative and alcohol. Typically the total fragrance mixture, including the fixative and the alcohol, will comprise, by weight, approximately 30% oil-based fragrance, 10% fixative, and 60% alcohol.




Once the alcohol mixture has been prepared, the extruded incense sleeves


12


are dipped into the diluted fragrances for a selected time period. Then the incense is removed from the fragrance composition and allowed to dry.




Therefore, from the foregoing discussion and specification, it is appreciated that the incense device of the present invention has many advantages over incense sticks of the prior art. By incorporating a match structure into the incense, it follows that the stem of the match forms a structural support within the incense itself. Further, because the stem of the match burns in response to the match being ignited, it follows that the match stem itself provides energy, in the form of heat, for activating or burning the incense sleeve.




The present invention may, of course, be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and the essential characteristics of the invention. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be construed in all aspects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.



Claims
  • 1. An incense device comprising: an elongated extruded incense sleeve having a central opening formed therein; and a wood match having a stem portion and a head with the stem portion being inserted and held within the central opening of the incense sleeve and wherein the head of the match is exposed and projects from the incense sleeve; and wherein the incense device is manufactured by a process of extruding an incense composition to form an elongated product; cutting the incense product into selected lengths to form an array of incense sleeves; and then inserting a match into each incense sleeve and extending the match into the sleeve such that the head of the match is left exposed and spaced outwardly from the incense sleeve such that the stem portion of the match extends between the match head and the incense sleeve.
  • 2. The incense device of claim 1 wherein the incense composition includes an incense powder, sawdust and incense resin.
  • 3. The incense device of claim 2 wherein the incense product, after extrusion, is subjected to heat.
US Referenced Citations (13)
Number Name Date Kind
1780920 Honigbaum Nov 1930 A
3754861 Sadahiro Aug 1973 A
4099916 Gardner et al. Jul 1978 A
4158549 Martin Jun 1979 A
4178346 Allen et al. Dec 1979 A
4198375 Rogers Apr 1980 A
4324763 Jarman Apr 1982 A
4334853 Gardner Jun 1982 A
5215719 Newman Jun 1993 A
D343807 Newman et al. Feb 1994 S
5618548 Dawson Apr 1997 A
5865862 Hassan Feb 1999 A
5873370 Towle et al. Feb 1999 A
Foreign Referenced Citations (9)
Number Date Country
303182 Feb 1955 CH
861033 Jul 1949 DE
330574 Mar 1903 FR
1065863 Nov 1952 FR
1164534 May 1956 FR
882713 Jun 1958 GB
22275222 Aug 1994 GB
2276320 Sep 1994 GB
112741 Dec 1997 RO
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry
XP-002173730, Database WPI, Section Ch., Week 199817 Derwent Publications Ltd., London, GB, AN 1998-189135.